Share

Isabella McCafferty of Wellington will represent New Zealand at the Vatican in March for an international youth gathering.

Ms McCafferty works with the Church’s Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Wellington Archdiocese.

She is in the pastoral ministry and her work supports families and young people across 22 parishes.

Ms McCafferty meanwhile also serves on recently established National Council for Young People.

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) chose Ms McCafferty to represent this country after inviting submissions in a survey mid-last year.

About 2 thousand people aged from 16 to 29 took part.

The Vatican meeting will lay the ground work for the October Synod of Bishops. Their theme is Young people, faith and vocation discernment.

International youth voice

Youth participants come from Church movements, associations, Christian and other churches. They’re also represent schools, universities, work places, sports, arts and volunteering associations.

Expert educators and trainers who work with youth will attend too.

Ms McCafferty say she feels honoured that the NZCBC chose her. And she says she feels heartened by the move of the Vatican to listen seriously to young people.

“The voice of young people within the Catholic Church is crucial, if the Church wants to move forward in an enlightened and informed way,” she says. She hopes to come home convinced that the Church will have listened and planned to act on what it heard.

Synod fathers will receive the results of the gathering for their October meeting.

Participants in the Vatican youth event will later join in the celebration of the Eucharist on the Palm Sunday with the Holy Father.

That happens in Saint Peter’s Square at the 33rd World Youth Day 2018.

Opinion

Negative reaction to John Murphy’s confession of having watched the Royal Wedding was interesting! I too, watched, without the slightest twinge of an uneasy conscience, one of the most fascinating television presentations that I have ever watched. I sent texts to many of my friends in the dead of night, which, alas, mostly went unanswered. Read more

Wednesday, the Vatican issued a letter, Oeconomicae et Pecuniariae Quaestiones on economic and financial matters. Quite unlike many recent communications on those issues, it was elegantly written – almost a joy to read. It is a serious and constructive contribution to the debate and, in its earlier sections, it is, if not quite original, a vital Read more

Features

The Chilean bishops announced their collective resignation last Friday following a series of sex abuse cases that have shaken the church. But far from ending the crisis, the decision heralds the beginning of a long rebuilding process in which Pope Francis will have a free hand to choose their successors. After their week in Rome, Read more

Like many Catholics across the Northeast and Midwest, parishioners in Pittsburgh are adjusting to a difficult new reality. On April 28 Bishop David A. Zubik announced plans to reduce the diocese’s 188 parishes to 57 by 2023. The parish closings follow years of falling Mass attendance—the diocese reports it is down by more than 40 Read more

Get CathNews by Email

Email Address *

First Name *

Last Name *

* = required field

Search CathNews

Search for:

Comments

KieranDoes Cardinal Brandmuller think that his opinion on women priests and women deacons, along with that of Pope John Paul II, will be binding for all time? An eternal decree? It must be wonderful to know the mind of God. Funny thing. I believe St Paul speaks of women deacons in Romans 16:1 and...

mel
Did the bishops resign in protest against the Pope's telling them off or did they resign because they failed their diocese and people and need to re'evaluate whether they should continue on within the clergy or within Church?

KieranI find it interesting that Pope St John Paul II gave us the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary because the the three others sets lacked reference to the public ministry of Jesus, which, of course is found at the heart of the Gospels. The main sources for the presence of the Lord as Irenaeus puts it...

Patricia GrahamThe communion table is not closed because of "denomination" its closed because one denomination believes the bread in the Eucharist is the "Body" of Christ the other denomination believes its only a memory so by definition you really can't take part in a celebration that you have a different belief...